In a four-day operation across the country involving 500 of its officers and Railway Vigilance, the CBI has unearthed a “highly sophisticated’’ scam in which the software system that automatically weighs goods on wagons passing over weigh-bridges was manipulated, causing “huge financial losses” to the government.

The scam is alleged to have been perpetrated through collusion of Railway officials, private vendors and freight operators.

CBI sources said while the agency was yet to fix blame for the racket on specific individuals and ascertain the quantum of financial loss, “the amount could run into several hundred crores.”

The agency will soon register multiple FIRs in connection with the racket which may have been on for the past two or three years, they said. More info